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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Snowed in

Being snowed in is historically one of my very favorite things in the world.

I love when the world is quietly muffled with a thick layer of new, white snow. New snow is so fresh and clean and relaxing. I love staying home with nothing to do, sleeping in, drinking hot steaming drinks out of warm, chunky mugs: tea, coffee, hot chocolate. I love when people I love can't leave my house, when school and work are out of reach and we can sit around with board games and homemade soup.

Today we are snowed in. It is mainly Shawn and me, but of course the two dogs are also here, needing their food and their medicine and even a walk, which was fun and fluffy, and like a miracle the snow hardly stuck to them when we came inside afterwards.

After their walk, I went out to scoop the lighter layer of snow off the front porch. Shortly into this task, I began to feel not-so-good, and then I remembered the doctor telling me that after my surgery, I was not to shovel or vacuum. "How long before I can shovel or vacuum again?" I asked her. "Forever," she replied, leaving me to wonder what the 4-6 week recovery period was leading up to. I already did something to myself last week, vacuuming behind the electricians. I may have compounded that today, in the ten minutes I spent shoveling before I remembered not to. Sigh. What am I even good for anymore, anyway? God, please don't make me have to go in for more reconstructive surgery. Please. Please be merciful. I know I am stupid and forgetful and do dumb things to myself, but please have mercy on me.

Construction has been delayed for the day, so once again, the kitchen project agony will be extended but at the same time mitigated (today would have been Day 14). I am not against mitigation. Although, the sooner I can cook again, the better. It is impossible to accommodate my dietary needs the way we are. We have succumbed to canned soup, which takes approximately 45 minutes to heat up in the crockpot, MSG and all. Pshaw.

Today I am going to try to make a chicken, rice and lentil dish in the crockpot. I made it up in my head and perused recipes online to try to figure out a method. Since all my spices and seasonings are packed away, I bought some MSG-free chili seasoning mix at the store. We shall see how this works, and we will eat it whether it is good or bad.

I also plan to have a nice long soak in the tub today, because why not? After I have started supper in the crockpot and soaked in the tub, I will work on wiping things... because everything needs to be wiped, and it is much easier for me than sorting through things (which will always need to be done), and it is not against the doctor's orders like vacuuming.

Too bad we don't have dust covers for everything like the English gentry used to. I suppose I should take the opportunity of this day and pack away everything on shelves. If only I knew where to pack it.

We also need to figure out how to get the water out of that heat duct. Still. Suggestions have not been pouring in.